I started with a Leadtek 6800GT PCI-E in a system full of mostly overclocked high-performance low-noise devices, so temps were reading high. In fact, they were so high I was beginning to suspect inaccurate temperature diodes.
Here's the pertinent componentry of the initial setup, followed by original spec, or "baseline" temperatures:

The Silencer itself is a well designed unit, stylish and substantial, with perhaps the exception of the clear plastic housing, which lacks a certain heft. I was relieved to see that the recent recall of all AC Rev.3 models was effective and fan polarity had been corrected on this example, although it doesn't matter in this case because the connection had to be modded to fit a proprietary Leadtek plug anyway. The packaging was impressive, providing an attractive presentation and adequate protection of the unit, but packaging is not why we purchase these things, and if you've read this far, you are probably waiting for juicy specifics, so on to installation.

Installation is similar to the other VGA Silencer units and is, in a word, painless. After replacing the fan connector plug with the proprietary Leadtek unit, I removed the OEM heatsink and removed the old thermal paste with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. Preparation complete, it couldn't have taken more than five additional minutes to install the NV Silencer. Installation really is that simple.

Following the included directions very carefully, however, it's easy to see how some users are getting inadequate contact with their memory chips. Unlike the original NV Silencer 5 and the Rev.2 model the copper base utilizes thermal pads to contact the RAM rather than a machined surface, improving board-to-board compatibility. The thermal pads for the front mounted memory modules are pre-installed on the back of the integrated heatspreader, at the base of the front-side heatsink, in a somewhat haphazard manner. If the included directions are followed verbatim, half of the memory modules will be adequately cooled, while the other half are barely covered. The simplest way to circumvent this is to remove the included thermal pads from the base of the cooler, apply them firmly and directly to the memory modules themselves and follow directions from there.

Installation complete, I couldn't wait to get up and running.

If first impressions were lasting ones, this one would have been a product killer. Upon re-starting the system a moderately loud, and very noticeable, "whooshing" sound, cleaner and lower pitched, but similar in volume to the stock Leadtek unit (i.e. loud) was evident. Obviously, this is not what a quiet PC enthusiast is hoping for.

However, ten minutes with RivaTuner tones the noise down to acceptable levels. Final settings in this particular system are 30% at idle (desktop), 35% low-level 3D performance (heat throttling), and 43% during heavy 3D use (gaming, benchmarking). The fan is nearly inaudible outside the case to the finely tuned ear to about 45% in a very quiet carpeted room. While the room used for testing is not on the level of an SPCR test chamber, shallow breathing is noticeable from 3 feet away, so it's adequate.

Despite the reputation Arctic Cooling has earned, this particular fan is very smooth, not exhibiting the same bearing noise that characterized earlier VGA Silencer designs. It is obviously designed for low noise operation; no matter how slowly this sample spins, there is no perceptible clicking, rattling, humming or any other sound impurity. Close up it is very similar in quality, though higher pitched, to the much larger Nexus "Real Silent" fan, especially when the latter is undervolted.

So, how does the Silencer perform at these levels? Very well, but since numbers are better than hype:

System Setup Changes:Fan speeds are lowered to enhance "calibrated-ear" measurements of the NV Silencer, and to contrast temperature readings.Comparison to the system at previous settings has been added to provide an "apples to apples" understanding of the system in question.

Upgrade Impressions: The entire system benefits with the NV Silencer. Everything operates cooler, safer and quieter with it installed. Even after reducing system fan speed, there is marked improvement overall system temperatures. Most interesting to our small collective of quiet crazies is the minimal impact reduced fan speed has upon component temperature readings with the NV Silencer installed.

At low speed, fan noise is no longer noticeable from as close as 6-9" from the open case. It's only within about 4" that fan motor and wind turbulence becomes audible at idle. With the case closed at peak speed (43%), the Silencer is audible only from the direct rear within 4". That's progress!

In the kitchen, where the computer is used, fan noise is completely drowned out by a refrigerator 18 feet away, with the system fans undervolted as noted above. Prior to installing the Silencer, video card fan noise was identifiable over the refrigerator, a washer and a dryer in an adjacent room on the other side of a wall. There is clearly a large improvement in real and perceived sound with the NV Silencer 5 Rev.3.

Nothing is Perfect: As good as it is, there are a few things to address in the next revision.

The plastic housing feels a bit cheap. Maybe a slightly thicker gauge will improve this, maybe not, but as it is, it hurts perception of an otherwise well-designed product. It is difficult to make a case this affects cooling performance significantly, but it may have a subtle impact on acoustic properties.

Default fan settings should be fine-tuned or manual adjustments added to appeal to a wider range of enthusiasts. Not everyone likes their computer loud, or quiet for that matter. Regardless, a third party program, like RivaTuner, should not have to be used to tweak settings and attain tolerable noise levels. Perhaps the easiest solution is to simply package a utility such as ABit's "uGuru" with the product to allow the end user to easily adjust fan speeds to their liking.

The 6800 GT's power circuitry, barely cooled by the OEM heatsink fan, now operates without any direct airflow. I haven't observed any ill effects thus far, but wonder about the long-term impact (see edit below). This may be a non-issue for some, given the excellent cooling over the rest of the card, and the fact that power module temperatures rise only slightly (from 44 to 46c) further reduces the likelihood that this is a significant oversight. Nonetheless, this is easily accomplished by venting the bottom of the fan shroud, and should be considered for the next update.

editAfter removing the power module heatsink to allow for added clearance, the power circuitry quickly overheated, causing artifacting and instability. Although still substantially overclocked, lower clock speeds (400/1100) were necessary to maintain stable operation. Research the size and shape of the heatsink contacting the power circuitry of your 6800/7800 series card prior to installation to determine if this cooler best fits your needs. Oversized sinks, like Leadtek's 6800 series, may require modification or removal to ensure compatibility, reducing the overall effectiveness of the cooling solution.

edit: Further tweaking resulted in increased video clock speeds. The "Performance 3D" setting in RivaTuner was increased to 75% (barely audible from ~3 feet, closed case) because the only thing that utilizes this setting is gaming, and either headphones or 5.1 surround speakers are in use, so the extra noise is not distracting (yet another example of why the NV Silencer should include fan adjustment...). Predictably, temps improve under load as well. If you're after a few extra FPS, this may prove advantageous. Results noted with system fans undervolted as noted above.

Testing Notes: Load temps for initial setup were taken performing prime 95 (CPU test) and a custom DOOM3 benchmark(GPU test) independently, each for 24 hours. The post-install results were obtained running Prime 95 and the ATI Tool artifact tester simultaneously for 24 hours, fully loading the CPU, GPU and memory subsystems. Because the second method puts more stress on more components (and logically should create more heat), results may appear less impressive than they actually are. I don't know that my system could have completed 24 hours of the second test prior to installation of the NV Silencer without crashing. Room temps remained a consistent 24 C (75 F) throughout testing.

Last edited by warriorpoet on Sun Dec 11, 2005 8:01 pm, edited 6 times in total.

Yes, this is also posted in the VGA forum. The reason is explained there, but I'll also do it here.
Quite a few people in the VGA forum are asking about this cooler, and a few specifically asked me to post when I received my cooler. I thought it would be rude not to respond.

Maybe I'll simply link it in that forum to avoid a war...and thank you for the constructive criticism. I don't want offend anyone at my favorite haunt.

Remember, this is a work in progress. I'd love to expand this review, but I'm not sure what will be most useful to the SPCR community. If there is anything that you think could/should be added or corrected, please post, or PM me.

I've read the the ATI Silencers' ticking noise has something to do with the power delivery on the Radeon cards. There is no way for me to verify this, however, since I no longer own an ATI card.

The NV Silencer 5 Rev.3 is designed for nVidia cards, and that is the model tested. Please do not draw conclusions about the quality/performance of other AC Silencer models based upon this brief review. This is simply my impression of one particular example of the NV Silencer 5 Rev.3 in my specific system (no cross-platform or open-bench testing could be performed). Other samples may cool or sound better or worse in different situations, and common variation should be considered (within reason).

In other words, milage may vary depending on external factors beyond my control.

Also, as tempting as it may be to purchase a Zalman VF700 Cu for comparison, my wife would most likely end me. So in the interim, here are my personal reasons for choosing the Silencer over the Zalman:

-Improved system airflow and cooling potential with the Silencer evacuating heat from the case (proven in testing)
-Greater theoretical silencing potential of the AC unit as wind turbulence noise is largely contained within the shroud
-Easier installation.
-More consistent noise results observed with the stock fan. Several Zalman owners on this forum have reported excessive dirty noise necessitating a fan swap.
-Most of the fan noise issues reported with the Silencer series are described as relatively minor.
-The Silencer's cleaner design and greater apparent attention to detail(i.e. uses VGA fan header rather than motherboard/fanmate, sleeved power cables, unique design completely unlike anything else on the market, etc.)

Everyone has a different opinion of this product and others like it. I understand that many members of this forum own and swear by Zalman heatsinks, and that's alright with me. This is not an attack on the Zalman, or a defense of the AC unit, but my honest, and I think fair, impression of the NV Silencer 5 Rev.3.

You tell us it's your system and your opinion about one example in your system, yet you start drawing conclusions with "overal" this and "overal" that?

I'm not sure I understand. Please elaborate.
If there is something you'd like me to change or an edit that needs to be made, I'd appreciate more specific criticism.

If you are referring to the post directly above yours, I believe the fact that these are my personal reasons for purchasing this cooler over the Zalman VF700 is clearly stated at the beginning of the response. Obviously, examining your signature, you came to a different decision.

I will consider replacing the word "overall" with another if it is offensive to you, I simply have to think of another adjective or another way of phrasing it...

BTW, are you critiquing the review itself, or my reply to another user's post?

I wonder, since there is so much "Zalman or Arctic Silencer" decision making going on right now, especially in reference to our respective coolers, if you'd mind posting a brief "countr-review" of your Zalman unit here, if the mods allow, to provide needed contrast and information regarding the comparison between these two excellent alternatives to aid the community in making better educated decisions. Perhaps if you PM me, I can edit the content into the original results to provide some vague comparison.

I'd like these things tested in a comparison. There are also statements about "Several Zalman owners" and "Most of the fan noise issues reported with the Silencer series". If you look at other forums, you get other results and opinions from users. So this is also not reliable. A real survey could do this. But I don't see this happening anytime soon.

Zalman installation is easy: how can easy be easier than easy (yeah I know, funny sentence ).

The only conclusion you can make is that both AC and Zalman are top notch cooling and silence solutions for graphic cards. Much better than stock cooling. But statements about comparisons are impossible at this moment. A lot of ppl would like to see such detailed comparison, like for example all SPCR reviews. So maybe this is a good hint .

- AC remove's the hot air outside the case. Supported by results posted in reviews. - Zalman easy to remove the dust. Dust is the nr1 enemy of electronics. - Zalman has better RAM cooling.- ...

Zalman installation is easy: how can easy be easier than easy (yeah I know, funny sentence ).

... both AC and Zalman are top notch cooling and silence solutions for graphic cards. Much better than stock cooling...

In order:
1. You are correct; my experience backs this up as well.
2. Yes it is, and so is dust removal on the AC unit (double entendre intended). If you have canned air both are simple.
3. Hard to say; it seems logical. Although the Zalman unit increases ambient temps (as do most other coolers); this advesely affects RAM temps as well.
4. The Silencer simply drops into the stock cooler holes, you have to mount the Zalman RAMsinks and a FanMate, still easy, but a couple extra steps. And, if you're as anal as I am about cable management, the FanMate is a nightmare...
5. I couldn't agree more. The decision between the two was difficult to make.

That review references the original, or Rev.1, NV Silencer 5. I can absolutely say that bearing noise is absolutely non-existant, from 25% (min.) to 100% (max.), and even overvolted to 18v. Arctic Cooling has done as excellent a job addressing noise issues in this particular unit as I would expect after 2 additional revisions of a product designed for the quiet community.

What happens, when you pull out the fan connetctor from the Leadtek 6800GT VGA? Does the card "allow" that? Of course with an other cooler installed (Z Vf700-Cu)? So it won't beep like when there is no power connected to the card?

One thing that attracted me to the Arctic Cooling VGA Silencers in the first place was the fact that I'd not have to find out .

Given the number of people running VF700s off of the motherboard fan header, however, I'm sure you'll be fine.

On the other hand, if you're asking about removing the plastic retention plug around the pins supplying power to the fan to fit a different plug, I've read that if you're careful it's usually not a problem (unless you destroy the fan headers in the process...). Just make sure that the heatsink power leads match up with the pin polarity...

BTW, what does "BR!" stand for? I'm originally from Michigan (U.S.), and there it means "I'm freezing!" or something similar.

What happens, when you pull out the fan connetctor from the Leadtek 6800GT VGA? Does the card "allow" that? Of course with an other cooler installed (Z Vf700-Cu)? So it won't beep like when there is no power connected to the card?

Thanks.

BR!

Silly me,

I just re-read your question, and for whatever reason, understood it differently this time.

The fan connector referred to in the review is the "plug" for the power lead on the fan wiring. The only reason it needed swapping is that Leadtek uses their own connector. The connector installed on the NV Silencer from the factory will be fine for 99% of users.

I hope that's what you were asking. If not, I've simply added fuel to the fire of my own foolishness; nothing new.

I just re-read your question, and for whatever reason, understood it differently this time.

The fan connector referred to in the review is the "plug" for the power lead on the fan wiring. The only reason it needed swapping is that Leadtek uses their own connector. The connector installed on the NV Silencer from the factory will be fine for 99% of users.

I hope that's what you were asking. If not, I've simply added fuel to the fire of my own foolishness; nothing new.

I was just simply asking, that will the Leadtek 6800GT run with the STOCK fan UNPLUGGED, or not...

Because, for example the Zalman fan would use a 3 pin connector from the motherboard or from a psu connector...

I just wanted to add my opinion here. Based on at least 5 different samples of AC's NV Silencer5 rev.2, bearing and motor noise developed after time. When the heatsinks were originally purchased, they were nearly inaudible, but after 3 months they ALL developed bearing and motor noise. Now maybe they fixed this in rev. 3, but I thought I should mention this as a warning. Also, when my AC Silencers failed, the company did not respond to my warranty claims whatsoever. Buyer beware.

I just wanted to add my opinion here. Based on at least 5 different samples of AC's NV Silencer5 rev.2, bearing and motor noise developed after time. When the heatsinks were originally purchased, they were nearly inaudible, but after 3 months they ALL developed bearing and motor noise. Now maybe they fixed this in rev. 3, but I thought I should mention this as a warning. Also, when my AC Silencers failed, the company did not respond to my warranty claims whatsoever. Buyer beware.

Thank you for your input.

I've heard of these problems before, but I can say after 2 months of hard use no additional noise is noted, other than what is normal due to dust buildup. I may not get the chance to see a full three months out of this cooler, as the Thermalright V-1 Ultra is just DYING for a review (that's my excuse, you see ).

I also have Arctic Silencer 5, although it's the very first revision and it clicks like mad. Overal I'm pretty satisfied with the noise lever, but the clicks coming from the fan are just way too loud and are the most annoying thing right now. Which is why I'm weary buying another Arctic Silencer, they don't click so bad when new, but the noise increases after several months.

I also have Arctic Silencer 5... it's the very first revision and it clicks like mad...the clicks coming from the fan are just way too loud... Which is why I'm weary buying another Arctic Silencer, they don't click so bad when new, but the noise increases after several months.

Just a quick note.

The Rev.2 Silencer added a noise filter to cut down on clicking, and while this measure appears largely sucessful when new, based upon what I have read around the web (so it must be true ), it seems to lose effectivenes over time.

When new, the Rev.3 sample I have has no clicking at all. I cannot, in good conscience, speculate whether the Rev.3 models will have the same problem, but I can say that there is absolutely 0 dirty noise from this particular unit after two months' use.

I can, however sympathize with those who purchased a product that did not live up to their expectations (Revs. 1 & 2), and would as well be reticent to repeat the mistake if I had the same experience.

I've decided to continue with this unit for another month or two to see if this becomes a problem with the Rev.3 as well. I will post my findings and a three month report in this thread, so keep checking.

So far I'm impressed. Just as warriorpoet, I think a mechanism for controlling fan speed should be included because stock speed is audible. Not ugly, not loud, but audible. I resorted to RivaTuner for fan control, but it has proven to work without problems.

As for cooling, everthing in my case reports lower temps, but the GPU itself shows rather dramatic improvements, particularly under load. The figure I am seeing reported under load by various users (including me) seems to consistently be a load temp of 10-15° less than with stock cooling.

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